ISS STATUS REPORT #06-40

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468
*International Space Station Status Report #06-40*
*12 p.m. CDT, Friday, Sept. 1, 2006 *
*Expedition 13 Crew*
With the launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis delayed, activities for the
International Space Station crew were replanned.
The crew initially expected to greet Atlantis' crew this week. But the
shuttle is now set to launch Sept. 6 on mission STS-115 to bring a new
truss section to the station, complete with a second set of 240-foot
solar wings. The mission was originally planned to launch Aug. 27. It
was postponed first to check possible lightning damage and then due to
Tropical Storm Ernesto. The delay gave Commander Pavel Vinogradov,
Flight Engineer and NASA Science Officer Jeff Williams and European
Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter of Germany more time to prepare for
Atlantis' mission. They packed items that will be returned to Earth and
reviewed plans for the shuttle flight's three spacewalks. They also
conducted normal station maintenance, daily exercise sessions and a
number of scientific experiments.
Williams spent parts of three days this week working with a cosmic
radiation study called the Anomalous Long-Term Effects in Astronauts'
Central Nervous Systems. The experiment tracks cosmic radiation while
monitoring brain activity and recording the subject's visual
perceptions. Williams spent one orbit, about 90 minutes, floating prone
with sensor blocks over and beside his head. The experiment's results
may help develop ways to protect future space fliers from the effects of
cosmic radiation.
Later in the week, Williams worked with the Capillary Flow Effects
experiment, studying the dynamics of capillary flow in microgravity.
Insight gained from the experiment may help in the developments of fluid
transport systems for future spacecraft. Other work included testing a
seal the astronauts replaced on an experiment facility called the
Microgravity Science Glovebox. The glovebox, in the U.S. laboratory
Destiny, provides a contained environment for experiments involving
fluid, flame or fumes.
During Atlantis' mission, the station status will be included in shuttle
mission status reports to be issued twice daily. The next station status
report will be issued after the STS-115 shuttle mission, or earlier if
events warrant. For more about the crew's activities and station
sighting opportunities, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/station
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